Overreaching or overtraining?

There are two classic physiological signs that you can prophylactically monitor or use to confirm a hypothesis that you are overreaching or overtraining. First, check to see whether your heart rate is elevated before getting out of bed in the morning. A heart rate that is elevated by at least 10 percent for three or more consecutive mornings suggests that you are at least overreaching. Second, if you wear a heart-rate monitor, a higher heart rate for a given pace is another sign of pushing too far. - from relentless foward progression

And that's exactly why I bailed on a tempo run earlier this week. I usually see a HR of 135-145 during a warm up and it hit 154 by the end of mile 1. No reason to try to push when something that glaringly obvious shows up.

Good stuff Kenny...I love the analytical side of my training and monitoring my HR is a big part of that.

There are times I want to run without hr strap like today. But then I remember how important it is to have that data for reasons above.

Kenny, you missed the 3rd one.

Kenny B. wrote:Second, if you wear a heart-rate monitor, a higher heart rate for a given pace is another sign of pushing too far.

Do you watch your HR for the entire run for this warning sign or look at your avg. pace & avg. HR for a given run to be on alert for an elevation?

Stephanie wrote:

Kenny B. wrote:Second, if you wear a heart-rate monitor, a higher heart rate for a given pace is another sign of pushing too far.

Do you watch your HR for the entire run for this warning sign or look at your avg. pace & avg. HR for a given run to be on alert for an elevation?

For recovery run I look at it at the start if feeling tired or maybe rundown. If it is high then I know to slow down or cut the run. (this rarely has happened). If after the run avg is higher out of zone I will look at RH in morning and the next days run.

Kenny B wrote:For recovery run I look at it at the start if feeling tired or maybe rundown. If it is high then I know to slow down or cut the run. (this rarely has happened). If after the run avg is higher out of zone I will look at RH in morning and the next days run.

Makes perfect sense! Thanks!